Haruno Clan
by Koomahana
Summary: I'm curious; does anyone know the beginnings of the Haruno Clan? I suppose not, considering that we're scattered throughout the world, native to not one land in the five nations. So I'll tell you about where we hail from, were the Haruno clan had been born and how our very begging's started our very doom…
1. Chapter 1: in the beginning

I'm curious; does anyone know the beginnings of the Haruno Clan? I suppose not, considering that we're scattered throughout the world, native to not one land in the five nations. So I'll tell you about where we hail from, were the Haruno clan had been born and how our very begging's started our very doom…

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In the days when the great nations weren't nations, just lands constantly fighting, a man appeared with strange ringed eyes, and he brought a change to the shinobi world. He is the father of the shinobi world in a manner of speaking, the man taught everyone about Chakra and how to use it, how to fight with it; he stopped wars and started others. He was a great and powerful man that everyone both feared and loved; He is also my brother.

Even in our family, my brother was considered strange; that's saying something considering that outsiders called us demons and witches. He held a power that no one else in our family did; he also couldn't do half the things our family could do. At first elder brother was heir, and I was chosen to be his shadow, that's the responsibility of the freak in the family. It was well known that my elder brother would often protect me from our own family; it was also known that I was just like him, but no near as powerful. I fallowed my brother everywhere, often tripping over my own feet; after all I was still a child when everything changed. Then one year our mother had told us that we would be receiving a younger brother, she was so happy, everyone in the family was happy; everyone but elder brother. So one day I decided that I would fallow my brother until I dropped, it was starting to get harder and harder as the months drew on and winter came.

"Haru, why do you always fallow me?" my brother asked me when I had finally caught up with him at our training field, it was just a patch of flat ground in the forest, almost perfectly round, and in winter, like it was becoming, the snow would turn red, but around it's edges, closest to the forest, it was still white. This small field was very strange that way. "Haru?" my brother called for me again, I lifted my eyes to his ringed ones. I don't think I've ever seen him look so sad before…

"Haru, why do you always fallow me?" he asked again, is he really that dumb?

"Because I want to protect you." I replied my brother wasn't dumb, he was the smartest clan member, in fact, it was only his brains that kept him in the family; otherwise he would have either been killed or booted out a long time ago. "I want to be strong just like you Nii-chan. Can you show me something new today?" my brother laughed at me, he always does, whenever I ask to learn something new, he always laughs at me.

"Okay, but only if you answer my question." Damn! Why does he always do that? He won't teach me anything until I answer one of his damn riddles!

"Okay," I sighed, "What is the question?"

"Why is this field so different from the rest of the land?" I stared at my brother, _how the hell am I supposed to answer that?!_

"Because, our family always sheds each other's blood here." I answered after a moment of thought, of course that would bring a small sad smile to his face, as if on cue, some distant family members launched themselves at brother and me. I had known they were there in the trees, just as brother had known they were there. Neither of us could ever get very far from the house without an incident happening with the branch members. Brother always got aimed at first, because he was the strongest one; but today was different. Something was wrong.

"Haru, come here." Demanded the voice of my father, slowly I turned to look at my father, surly he would put a stop to this; right? But father was acting strange, his eyes were hard and he held his sword in his hand; as if waiting for a fight.

"Haru!" I heard my brother cry out for me, I turned to look at him, there weren't any sounds of fighting; shouldn't there be the sound of mettle clanging together? Shouldn't there be the sound of people's voices groaning in pain? But no, no one was moving; they had only surrounded my brother, their weapons ready, their energy on the verge of over flowing. "Haru! Get away! Run!" my brother's voice echoed in my ears, why should I run?

"Nii-chan?" I asked softly, confused at my brother's desperate face and anxious voice.

"Look out, Haru!"

"Huh?" I turned back to my father, I wish I hadn't, because whenever I move, I move my feet, shifting my entire body from side to side. My father's foot was inches away from my face, if I don't move he'll break my cheek! But I've never been as fast as brother, my father's foot hit my right cheek, forcing me away from the entrance of the field, I landed harshly in the new snow and rolled to a stop just feet away from the ring surrounding my brother. If I hadn't had moved then father's kick would have snapped my neck and I would have died quickly and without pain. But I was a foolish little child, I moved my feet with each movement of one of my limbs, as such I always ended up in more pain then nessasery. Father always did hate that I moved like that, he also hated the way I looked.

"Haru! Haru! Get up!" I heard my brother cry out to me, I felt someone approach me; I turned just in time to avoid a blade to my back. "Haru! Get out of here! Run!" then I moved, I did what brother was so good at.

I fought back.

I wrapped my small fingers around the blade and kicked my feet up and hit the sword just above the hilt, wear father's sword was always weakest. As predicted father's sword snapped in half, not quite were I had wanted it to break, but that'll do. Father always hated that I used big brother's tricks and not our own families. Quickly I fumbled away from father and the ring of cousins around my brother.

"Haru," my father called, I looked up at him. How could he do this? Didn't he love us? "Haru, as a shadow for your brother, when his life is threatened, it is your responsibility to die in his place." Why is he telling me this? I already knew this!

"Father? What is going on? Mother will not be pleased with you." I said calmly, for some reason I never did like talking to my father, even less then I like to talk to the rest of my family; At least Mother loved my brother and me, I wasn't so sure about father, he was always cold to Nii-chan.

"Your mother already knows what's going on here, just as your brother knows." I couldn't hide my shock, I'm only eight, of course I can't hid my emotions! My mother knew? She knew what father was doing? She knew he was trying to kill us? I glanced at my brother, what did father mean when he said that Nii-chan knew what was going on?

"I don't understand father," I said relaxing my stance slightly, big mistake. "Why would mother let you do this?" my father was almost as fast as brother, I didn't even have time to block his attach this time. I flew through the air again, landing just inches from a branch member, who immanently kicked me away from him, his spirit beast fling me into the air once more before I landed trapped beneath its talons.

"I never said she let me, your mother is currently resting, she will not come to your aid; she no longer cares whether or not you live." Mother didn't care? The thought was terrifying, mother always cared. Even now as father and few other branch members attached me, and I feebly fought back, trying my best not to hurt anyone; I could see her in my mind's eye.

Mother's soft star white hair was always shinning, glowing with her sheer power alone, her eyes were always glowing with her strange flame yellow in pride for her children. Mother was as soft and gentile as father was harsh and cold. Father was once called the blood demon; he had a habit of getting blood on everything around him, even getting it stuck in his already red hair. One look from his ice blue eyes had the bravest of men running for cover. Mother didn't have a nick-name like father, although if she tried she could properly whip out the whole family, her soft heart couldn't handle such a thing. She once cried for the enemy as father slaughtered them without mercy for even the youngest of the fighters.

"You're lying." I finally managed; I hadn't been listening to my cousins taunting words of hate. "Mother wouldn't ever let you get away with this!" I lunged myself at father, I knew I was at my wits end, I was the weakest in the entire family, I couldn't even match the other children my own age. But father's cold words had only put a crack my heart; easily reparable with time, but my cousin's had only continued to crack and break my heart. Their coldness was on a whole new level; their thirst for blood was unlike any other time before, my brother was just standing there watching, why was he watching? Don't they normally attach him? Father batted me away again, as if he was shooing a fly.

"Mother wouldn't just let us die!" I called out, but my voice was just a horse whisper, I blocked my cousin's kick to my face but I still got thrown into the air.

"You worthless piece of trash! Why don't you just die?!" suddenly a family member was above me, his icy blue eyes screaming with hatred and madness, like all branch members. But something was different about him, something wasn't right, branch members didn't have blue eyes, they had brown eyes. He kicked me and I landed harshly into the blood soaked snow of the field, creating my own imprint into the earth. I coughed up blood; my limbs were too slow for this, if I don't do something soon I'll die!

I tried to stand once more, but my fingers tangled themselves into my pink hair making me slip and fall again. Pink, it was the color of little girls, soft, gentile little girls who wouldn't know of war or death if they saw it. Why was I born with pink hair? It was bad enough my eyes were green and my forehead was big, but my hair was the last straw around this family. To them, pink was a sign of weakness, weakness was useless, and weakness was always killed.

"You worthless freak!" I heard my cousin cry out, his sword raised high above my head "If I kill you then I become heir! And the weakness your mother brought would end!" mother was many things, but weak was not one of them. His sword was falling, I was moving, but I was too numb to know were, a hand on my back was pulling me away, even as something flew past my head cutting several strands of hair from my head, I saw the surprised look on my cousin's face, the shock in his strange icy eyes…

"How many times must I tell you not to insult my wife?" father's blunt sword was protruding from cousin's chest, I looked up at the person holding me in his arms. It was elder brother; his fury was practically making his hair stand on end like a startled cat, his own sword was logged into cousin's neck, cutting into his spin to turn him into a paraplegic.

"Haru, I told you to run." Nii-chan whispered to me, "Why do you always insist on waiting for me?" I felt a faint smile tug at my lips; brother knew I couldn't have made it far before they would have killed me.

"Because I would die for you, Nii-chan." I said as snuggled my head into that craves between his neck and shoulder. "I love you too much to leave you behind." I felt brother turn slightly, just enough to glance down at me, I felt him kiss my head as he jumped away from cousin as he fell to the ground. I felt brother wrap his now free arm around me and squish me close to him, as if he was afraid that I would leave him behind.

"You're such a silly little girl Haru; I guess that's why I love you so." I could tell big brother was fighting back a smile, he didn't like to smile in front of others; he saved his smiles for mother and me. Unlike brother, I didn't mind smiling in front of others, expesherly if it was directed at big brother.

"I wish we could go somewhere and live together forever, hopefully in peace." I whispered to myself, half hoping that he heard and half praying that he didn't. The deep chuckle from big brother answered my hopes, but smashed something in my chest, was that a good or bad chuckle?

"Son, this is your last chance, kill Haru and you will be accepted into this clan once and for all." Father's voice rang out, stilling the movements of my cousins; his words rang in my ears. Would brother kill me? All he's ever wanted was to be at peace with the clan, he can finally ask China for a date, and when their older they could marry and have a family of their own, but the cost of this acceptance is my life… could he live with himself with that price forever fallowing him around? I looked up at my brother's face; he was starring down at me, as if he was searching for something. I was doing the same thing, I was searching for his decision, I would understand if he chose to kill me, I've been nothing but a nuisance to him since the day I was born; I'm his keeper after all. I'd understand if he chose to kill me, I want him to be nothing more than happy; to see him sad would break my heart. Even as tears pricked at my eyes and my chest felt as if it would cave in on itself, I tried my best to smile at big brother, trying to let him know that I would accept his decision of my death; because if I spook of this acceptance then that would mean that I had died willing for him, which would not prove his strength and would do more harm than good.

My brother's breath hitched and his face screwed up into an expression of pure pain, and the tears that threatened his eyes weren't unnoticed by me. I snuggled in close with a resigned sigh; this would be the last time I'd ever be this close to big brother. After a moment I tried to push away from big brother, but he wouldn't let me, his grip tightened almost painfully on my shoulders and legs were he held me up off the snowy ground.

"Sorry father, but I refuse to kill Haru." Brother's voice ringed in my ears, his words imprinted onto my heart. "I'm not like you or the rest of this family; I will not kill my own blood for a chance of power. Haru is my keeper, without her my power cannot be controlled, which would only lead to my own death, much to the everyone's satisfaction." I stared up at big brother, his face smooth his lips were quirked up into a smile and his eyes, they weren't just ringed; they were completely _smiling_ as if he was overjoyed at this new decision.

"But China," I whispered, I wasn't completely dumb, I knew big brother loved China so much he'd give his own life for her, but what he was doing now was ruining any chances he might have with her.

"It's okay, she's promised to someone else, now I'm free to choose my own path." He whispered back, holding me gently, big brother was only three years older than me, yet he was throwing his life away for a shadow? Throwing everything away from someone who was meant to die anyway?

"Are you sure?" I asked, I knew China felt something for big brother, when ever her eyes landed on him, they filled with pity and sadness, but there was also a glow to something else hidden there. "I know she feels something for you, something that hurts her when you fight or get hurt in some way." Brother looked down at me, his eyes accepting, his tears that threatened to fall had long been dried. Why was he always doing things as if he didn't have a care in the world? I hate it when he dose stuff like that, it's beyond foolish.

"Sorry to disappoint you father," brother said as he released his right hand from my body, "But I choose to fallow mother," father's face was mildly startled, brother did some hand sighs that I've never seen before, and with the swipe of his blood across a scroll that I hadn't noticed before, he tightened his hold over me again; an almost savage grin spread across his face. "We'll never meet again father, tell mother I said that I pray for the best of her wishes." And then a hug puff of smoke shook the ground were brother slammed the scroll, and we were suddenly rocketed upwards. I clung to brother frightened at whatever was forcing us to move so quickly. Once the ringing was out of my ears and we stopped moving up, I looked down at were brother's feet were supposed to be. Beneath his feat were the strangest feather's that I had ever seen in my life, they were almost chameleon with the way they shifted in color, it didn't take me long to realize that we were upon a giant bird. Father looked so small from up here, he looked like a child from where I sat, father's eyes locked with mine, and for a moment it looked like he was sad and yet, could that be pride?… was he just testing brother?

"Are you afraid of me Haru?" father asked, some of my cousins tried to attach but were scorched to death on impact of the bird, some of my cousins fled, horror struck or frightened out of their wits I'll never know which.

"Haru, do you want to go home to mother?" I looked up sharply at big brother; he was giving me a choice…again with choices! Doesn't he ever get tired of putting two presses things against each other? "So long as you stay close to her, she'll protect you." Its unfair how gentile and accepting brother's face is right now, why does he always push me away? Just to spite him I snuggled in close to him and glanced down at father, father could hear a bee a mile away, so I knew he could hear me.

"I'm not frightened and I don't want to go home to mother. I'm disappointed in father. I love mother, but I'm tied to Nii-chan, now and forever." I looked up at big brother and smiled as best as I could, "I'll fallow you to the ends of the earth, if it meant to stand beside you." Big brother laughed rubbed his forehead against my bleeding one and sat harshly down on the bird, his laughter shaking his chest and rumbling in my ears. It took only that one movement from brother and the great bird spread his wings with a mighty cry and it lifted off the ground, the trees all but fell over from his great flapping wings. We reached a point where we were nearly even with the great mountain, I looked down below were we circled from our lift off, what I saw nearly broke my heart. The small field wasn't as small as I thought, and it was perfectly circler with a red center, the leaves of the forest around the field were turning crimson, strange how that is, I hadn't realized I'd spilt that much blood in that field, and the snow was still clean and pure around it's edges, I couldn't even see the tiny figures of my family; it was a beautiful sight. A red back ground with a snow white ring in its center…

"What a pretty thing," I whispered, I leaned back into brother's arms, the world around me was getting dark and a little cold, I could hear brother's voice, but it was getting so very distant. I wasn't dressed or ready for such cold weather, we were in the middle of fall, and the snow had fallen too early this year; I wonder why the spirits saw fit to do that to us…

"Ha—ru —!" the scream was desperate, slightly faint, but defiantly familiar… I wonder who called for me… the world suddenly dark and I was aware of nothing but the sudden rush of air around me and then, that too quickly faded.

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Taiyoo woke up in her room feeling oddly cold, pulling herself up into a sitting position; she saw that some nut case left her damn door to the court yard open. It only took Taiyoo a moment to realize that it was snowing outside, and that her children were nowhere in sight. Feeling a sick sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that had nothing to do with her eight and a half month pregnancy, Taiyoo struggled her way up onto her feet, nearly falling twice as she struggled to her feet.

"Where the hell is Haru and Akuruii when their needed?" Taiyoo mumbled to herself as she snatched up her thick winter cloak and headed to the open door. "One would think that someone would have half a brain to shut the damn doors when it's bloody snowing!" Taiyoo grumbled as she flicked her white hair out of her eyes, it was then that she saw a few of her husband's cousins crashing into the court yard crying out for help.

"That bastard summoned a demon!" someone cried out, Taiyoo's yellow eyes flew open, there was only one person in this family that was called a bastard and only one who had the gull to summon a 'demon'.

"Akuruii?" Taiyoo whispered to no one in particular as she rushed out of her room grabbing a scarf and shoes, so Akuruii succeeded? He was able to make a summoning contract? Does that mean he'll leave the estate now?

"Evacuate the estate! Akuruii will destroy the estate! Grab those you can and run!" now that didn't sound right, Taiyoo thought mildly to herself, as she quickly rushed to the top floor through the closest stairs, Taiyoo found herself on the roof watching the sky, looking for anything that shouldn't be there.

"Akuruii was trying to make a contract with some kind of bird for years now, did he succeed? So long as I'm here he won't even think about hurting the estate, but if Haru got hurt anything becomes possible…" suddenly Taiyoo's eyes caught sight of something off in the distance, a few miles away from the estate. At first it looked like a head and something resembling wings, but then it disappeared in the blink of her eye; at first she thought she was just seeing things, that is until she saw the hug wind that was toppling the trees and rushing towards her at increasable speeds.

"My lady!" some screamed and the next thing she knew, Taiyoo was bracing herself against the floor of the roof pressing her against the body of the man that knocked her down to save her from something that could have killed her. After a moment Taiyoo saw that the wind was coming out in bursts, and as she peaked around the shoulder of the man who possibly saved her life, Taiyoo saw a huge creature rising up off the ground, that huge bulky figure in the distance was the form of a bird, what she had seen just before the gust of wind wasn't her imagination; it was the summoning from her son!

"Taiyoo! We have to evacuate!" the man cried out, but he wasn't strong enough to keep that mother from launching to her feat, crying out for her son as if he just might hear her. Suddenly that huge bulky bird was in the air, so high up that she was sure it could see the lands far to the south just beyond the mountain range. "My lady!" the man cried out again.

"Akuruii—" Taiyoo cried out again, towards the sky, she saw the bird circle a few times but then it suddenly punched towards the estate, fearing for a spit second that perhaps her son wasn't the one summoned that great bird that struck fear into the very family named after demons themselves, Taiyoo took a step back. But she couldn't retreat in time, that bird was so fast it was liable to get to her before she could even reach the door that led back to the center of the estate.

She couldn't take her eyes away from the huge bulking creature, and for once she was glad that she had that bad habit of watching something so dangers strait to the end. Taiyoo's eyes widened at the sight given to her for a few seconds before the bird disappeared past her roof and into the distance. Because if she looked away, she would have missed the sight of her son holding his little sister, no matter what she did, Taiyoo would never be able to remove that image from her mind ever again.

Haru was beaten black and blue, her fall clothing was ripped to shreds, blood spilt from her porcine skin, but a smile tilted her lips up just enough to indent her swollen cheek. Akuruii's ringed eyes were desperate, tears fell from them as determination made him grit his teeth and twist his handsome face.

There was no way in hell he was going to stop by the estate so that Haru could see a good doctor, Taiyoo wouldn't fool herself, she knew her husband's family hated Haru and Akuruii with a passion. No way in hell would they help Haru and Akuruii, no matter how much they were threaten, or even their family was threatened. So she did the only thing she knew would wake her daughter and get her son's attention, she screamed out her daughter's name as loudly as she could, her voice wouldn't work for awhile after such a cry, but that didn't mean she couldn't try. Her cries echoed off the surrounding buildings and throughout the forest, her desperation to wake her daughter for fear that it might be too late to tell her she loved her one last time. Suddenly Taiyoo felt a pain in her stomach, she knew this feeling, she's had it twice before.

"No, no you're too soon!" Taiyoo whispered harshly as she collapsed to her knees, more pains racking her body harshly, "Why couldn't Akuruii give me a name before he left?!" she growled out as she watched the retreating form of the bird; If only she had known…

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Haru found herself in a dark cold place, her body was sore all over, in places she didn't even know she had; where was her brother? Had Akuruii made out of that estate safely? Was he safe? So many questions spun around in her head, she couldn't concentrate, if only she could see him one last time, just to make sure he was okay; then she could die in peace.

"Haru," a voice called from the darkness, "Haru," the voice was so far away, how could she ever get to it, she knew she had to find it, it was important! "Haru," it was getting closer, but it was so faint, how could she ever find it?

"Haru," he called, no matter what happened, Haru would always reply to him. Even when she was so deep in sleep she might as well have been in a coma, still the sound of his voice calling to her would have woken her enough for a sleepy reply.

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"Haru," he called again, he had been calling his sister's name now for nearly three days strait, it was hell convincing that damn bird to fly over the mountains and head to the closest village that had the best doctor in it. Tonka hated Haru as it was, he had no reason to help his master's little sister, for the exception that she _was_ his master's little sister.

"Haru," Akuruii whispered again, his sister's hand was still cold in his, no matter how long he'd been holding her tiny little hand; Haru's hand was still not warming up. Perhaps it's because of her fever?

"Haru," Akuruii whispered again, the world around him was threatening to collapse around him, threatening him with its darkness, "Haru, wake up, please, Haru…" Akuruii's whisper was nearly drowned out by the sound of an opening door.

"That's not very smart mister," a thick gravelly voice called, Akuruii turned towards the door, the old man standing there with his granddaughter was holding a large bowl of steaming water, his granddaughter was holding a platter of various towels, bandages, medicines and wraps. "You've been up for three day's strait, if you don't take a break soon, you'll be in worse condition than that girl."

Akuruii stared at the old man from beneath his dark hair; he turned away from them and rubbed his thumb of his sister's tiny weak hand. "Haru," he whispered, the old man sighed and gestured to his granddaughter to work around Akuruii like they have in the past week.

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It took him a weak to get to this house, the southern war in this part was partially bad, and when he first arrived at the village he saw nothing but fire and fleeing forms, the only sounds he heard was the screaming of people and the roaring of the fire. He reacted quickly, summoning water from the nearby river and dropped a good sized bubble over the tiny town, when he landed Tonka immanently went into grumpy mood and shrunk himself down to the size of a parakeet. He didn't like this new land; he said it smelled too much of blood and death, more of the later then the former. As soon as they started to walk through the village people came out an attached them, Tonka had fun playing tag-and-eat with the would-be assassins, at least he was nice enough to point out the doctor's general location to Akuruii. Akuruii left Tonka to play for a while, he'd return once he got tired of the assassins trying to kill his master, and he did, about half a day later. Tonka continue to complain to Akuruii about how weak these humans were and how he wasn't happy that Akuruii just killed anyone who charged him blindly, it didn't give him any fun eating the already dead.

"So don't," Akuruii replied without thought, it was then that Tonka saw that his master was standing at the door to the house of the doctor, but was entering. He was just standing there, seemingly lost, the little girl his arms, was growing weaker and weaker. But something was keeping that little brat here in the world of living, but what was it? Tonka wondered, surly it wasn't was the bond that she shared with her elder brother, the boy couldn't keep that child alive anymore then he could keep his mother from giving birth to some awkward looking children, now that brought a new thought entirely. What would Akuruii's little brother look like? Would he look like his mother or his father? Akuruii and the brat didn't look like either one of their parents, except that the girl looked like an odd ball combo of the two psycho paths; while Akuruii looked like a bizarre combo of his mother's father and his father's mother. It was an hour and a half before the residence inside the house worked up enough courage to open the door to look out. Tonka was miffed at being called a pet bird, but stayed outside to protect the house at the order of his master.

Haru stayed asleep for a week, her brother never moving from her side. The granddaughter of the doctor often checked up on him through a crack in the door, and was always disappointed to see him sitting strait in his seat, his hands holding that little girl's so gently and yet trembling at the same time. It didn't take a generous to see that he was terrified of losing her. She often brought Tonka pieces of bread so he wouldn't always have to eat human flesh, but he would reject her every time she offered, so she set the plate of bread just outside of the door every morning and about noon she pick up the empty plate and replace it with a fresh thing of bread. Tonka was good at keeping the assassins away, but he also kept a lot of good people away too.

"It's disappointing how loyal he is," the doctor said after a few days, "the little girl most likely won't make it, still he sits there day and night watching for any sign of life. If that boy is that determined to keep her alive, I hate to see how determined he is to find the person responsible for her condition; and I don't want to see what he would do too them"

"I think she's his sister," the girl said calmly as she did the dishes, the old man glanced at his daughter.

"Eiko, what are you thinking? They look nothing alike." The doctor said dismissively, his granddaughter chuckled to herself, "What is it? What did you see now?"

"When I check on our guest, he doesn't watch little Haru with undying love that would leave him dead if she were to die." Eiko said calmly and slightly sarcastically, without turning, "He watches her as if he's simply waiting for her to wake up, like he's frightened that she'll never wake up, like he's desperate to see her keep living, no matter what the condition is. He watches her like an over protective mother bear." The old man had nothing to say to that, he hated to admit it, but sometimes his granddaughter saw through people's masks as easily as he saw through people's wounds and calculate how dangers it is.

"The girl's name is Haru, right?" he asked again, eyeing the roof above him, knowing that the room above him was were the children were.

"Yes," Eiko replied gently, "what are you thinking grandfather?"

"I'm thinking that her parents didn't have much of an imagination. The girl's hair is pink for crying out loud, just like cotton candy. At least they didn't name her Momo or Sakura, then I would have someone to slap. I hate it when unique children show up and they have the most redundant names in the whole damn world." Eiko chuckled at her grandfather; it was then that they realized that they weren't alone. The young man who found outside their door holding Haru was standing in the door way to the kitchen, looking hesitant and almost nervous.

"Hello," Eiko welcomed warmly as she gestured for him to sit at the table next to her grandfather. "You're welcome to breakfast if you'd like." There wasn't much, but Eiko knew that something was better than nothing. The young man sat next to the doctor and looked hesitant again at the food, Eiko place a plate and some utensils before him. "Feel free to dig in." the boy looked nervously at her.

"Aren't you going to eat?" the boy's voice was soft and gentle, horse from the whispering he had been doing the past five days. Eiko looked shocked at him, generally she would eat after her grandfather and guests, but this boy was asking her to eat with him.

"I eat after the guests eat," Eiko said calmly, "You don't have to worry about me; I'll be just fine." She gave the boy the best smile she could muster, but doubted that he believed the sincerity in it. After a minute or two, the boy dug into his food quietly, chewing slowly, almost as if he was testing the food before he swallowed.

"Haru moved today," the little boy said gently to the doctor, the old man blinked up at him slowly. So the little girl just might make it after all, the doctor had never seen anyone that hurt before and was amazed that she would even make it through, considering she didn't have half the help she properly would need from a proper hospital.

"You never did tell us your name young man," the doctor said calmly as he stood from his seat and moved to his cabinet. "We only know the girl's name because you wouldn't say anything else for the past week. Frankly you're calmer about her movement today then I would have thought you to be." The old man turned with a platter filled with many containers of different medicines, wraps and clothes. "Anyone else that acted like you did would be jumping with joy, or started running down here as fast as they could." As the old man reached the stairs he was startled to see that the boy had actually beaten him up to the landing, his robs barley lifted at his feat were he landed gracefully; the old man glanced at the table were the boy was sitting just seconds before, there was no evidence that he was even there, how the hell did he move so fast?

"Haru moved only a moment before I came down here, it'll be a few more days, but she'll wake." The boy seemed convinced that the girl would live, the doctor wasn't so sure. After that the boy acted less desperate and a little more normal, he ate breakfast and dinner with them, he slept on the floor on the opposite side of the room he shared with Haru and he even talked more and listened more to the doctor and his granddaughter. Just as he had said, in three days time, the little pink haired girl shifted and opened her eyes as if frightened of her surroundings.

"Hello Haru, how are you feeling?" Eiko asked as she replaced Haru's wet cloth on her forehead. "Hay, she's awake." Eiko spook as if to wake another person, Haru heard a grunt and hurried fumble, it wasn't long before she saw the face of her brother. It took Haru a moment to recognize him because his eyes were covered by his wild midnight blue hair.

"Nii-chan," Haru croaked out, her voice horse and dry from no use. "Nii-chan, did you see it?" Haru asked as Akuruii, she had finally remembered what she had dreamed, "Did you see the sign? My sign," Haru whispered, her hand gripped Akuruii's tightly.

"What sign? Haru, tell me, what did you see?" Haru smiled up at him almost like she used to when their mother prized her.

"I saw the circle of life…in a bath of blood," Haru whispered, she lost conscience soon after, Eiko and her grandfather worked worriedly over her; she had gained an infection somewhere in her body, a poison that was slowly killing her. That night Eiko was told to go to the library and get as many books as she could on the human body, she rushed away with a large bag on her shoulder. When it appeared that the doctor would need help, Akuruii took off after Eiko; he didn't know what was taking her so long but if she needed help he would be more than happy to help her. He saw Eiko up the street, her bag thumping against her back; she was running from several men, Akuruii's feet moved him faster when he saw her trip and fall to the ground. There was no way for her to get away in time; one of the men raised a sword ready to make sure she'll never run away again. The man's sword would never make it too her, in the split second he brought it down; he found himself missing an arm.

"Ah! Mister!" Eiko called gratefully, in the blink of an eye, the rest of Eiko's would be assassins were killed and laying in their own blood. How was she supposed to respond to that? it was normal to find copses, it wasn't normal to watch five strong, healthy young men die in the blink of an eye...

* * *

"Ah! little girl your awake, about time. you scared that boy half to death you know." the doctor said as he lifted Haru's head so she could drink her medicine.

"Nii-chan," she whispered, the old man sighed heavily. these two are going to end up dying together.

"What's your name little girl?" the doctor asked as he removed the bandages from her face, the old man sat Haru up in her bed, gently keeping her sitting up with one of his arms.

"My name is Haru," the little girl crocked, the old man's face dropped in surprise as the last of the wraps fell away from the little girl's face."I am Haru of the Onsanran clan." how the hell can there be nothing left of this girl's wounds? She looked as if she hadn't seen violence a day in her life, but then her words sank into the doctor's head and his face twisted in confusion. This little girl is part of a clan? It would explain her clothes and why the boy was so protective of her... if she's a noble whose life was in danger; then it would only be understandable if the boy claimed to be her brother in order to keep her safe. It would also explain why he refused to tell them his name.

"That boy who brought you here, do you remember him, or even know him?" the little girl starred at him almost unseeingly; as if trying to remember something from long ago, the doctor briefly wondered if the girl was blind.

"I know of the boy who brought me here..." Haru agreed hesitantly, the old man before her visibly relaxed.

"Good, do you know his name?" Haru's eyes narrowed in suspicion at the old man cleaning the wounds on her legs and arms.

"yes..." the old man waited patiently, when it appeared that she obviously would't tell him anything, he tried again.

"Could you tell me his name?" again the little girl did not answer, he waited patiently, as his ministrations slowly came to a close, he resigned himself to the fact that the little girl just might never tell him the boy's name.

"His name is Tabito," Haru's voice called to the doctor as he stood, he looked down at the small pink haired girl who, if been anyone else, would have died. "He is my elder brother," Haru laid down again, it was clear that Haru didn't want to tell him anything she didn't have too, but that was fine, she didn't need to speak if she didn't want to. The scars on her body spoke more then enough for the old man, this little girl has been through hell and if that boy was her brother like both claimed; then surly his scars were far worse and even older. The old man sighed relucently and headed for the door, taking his medicine with him.

"Your brother will return soon, he left after my granddaughter, they'll both return soon." He said with a smile over his shoulder to the little girl as he opened and closed the door. Haru closed her eyes and waited for his footsteps to fade away completely and then started counting to twenty; she got to fifteen when she heard a gentile thump by her window overlooking the village.

"So the old man's been tending to a child this entire time," a man's ruff voice whispered to the darkness of Haru's room, "And a natural freak by the looks of it." Haru knew the stranger was standing above her now; his partner hanging from the roof just outside her window blocked the light of the setting sun; which was perfect for her.

"Now, now, we're supposed to take that girl of the doctor's, not a worthless, barely alive patient of his." That was the voice of a woman, Haru though about her chances of killing the man and going after the woman, and promptly thought that she should at least enable the man from doing any serious damage to the family who saved her life. After all, a life for a life, right?

"If I don't get to kill something soon, I'll take my frustration out on you!" Snapped the man, Haru tried to decide if the woman's snort was encouragement or an unspoken threat to the man beside her. She heard the ruffle of clothes and heard the distinctive sound of a large blade being unsheathed. She could practically feel the man steady the blade above her heart, "This'll only take a moment, be glad you're a dyeing kid; otherwise I would have to have made this fun." It was then that Haru opened her eyes and looked directly at the man standing above her, his sword at her throat.

...

* * *

...

_**I hope you don't mind that I made adjustments to the story, I just realized that they were so bloody long that it might be a little annoying, so I split them up. I hope I did it right…**_

_**OH YEAH! Does anyone mind being my proof reader? I need someone to do spell checks for me because I'm a horrible speller…**_

_**E-mail me if you're interested! **_


	2. Chapter 2: Secret Hell

***The Secret Hell***

The man starred at the unconscious girl at his feet, she really was a freak of nature. She had a creepy shade of pink hair that looked like it was taken from a sunset and skin paler then snow, had this brat even seen the sun before? As he readied his short sword over her chest, he looked at the kind of condition she was in: which consisted of once beautiful silk kimonos, and a lot of bandages. It was disturbing how this room smelled like a morgue, a thousand different medicines were fighting within the kid's body, making her week and delirious; it was best to kill her quickly because she was already doomed and it was best not to make her suffer more than she needed to. Just as he looked back at the little girl's peaceful, sleeping face; he saw two almond shaped emerald eyes looking up at him. The eyes were beautiful and they should have been full of emotion, but instead the little girl starred up at him as if she couldn't really see him; as if she was blind.

"Have you always been awake?" the man whispered, almost to himself. The little girl only starred at him, as if she hadn't heard him. "Well you're going to die now; you're not going to make it anyways." He raised his sword and brought down again… right into the cushion of the girl's bed, he starred wide eyed at the empty bed were the little girl had been seconds before.

Mai gasped as she saw that strange girl move, she barely saw her; but she saw that the little pink haired girl jumped from her bed to the wall, then jumped to the beam and used her momentum to collided her feet on the back of the neck of her would be killer. The little girl then turned and looked at her that was all Mai needed to know; that little girl was anything but human. Quickly, Mai turned and dropped to the ground and ran into the nearby forest, no way in hell was she going to get caught by that little monster! Mai didn't get far before an awful, ear-splitting screech made her freeze as a strange blue fire surrounded her; Mai let out a scream of her own as something launched itself at her from within the flames itself.

Haru thought about going after the strange black haired woman, but quickly though better of it; she had one member of the team, she didn't need anyone else. Haru looked around the small room; there wasn't anything she could use to tie the man up; if only she had some rope.

"You're late." Snapped out an irritated voice, Haru quickly turned towards the window; only to see a bird as blue as the ocean and appeared to have strange peacock feathers that looked to be on fire. "Master was beginning to wonder if you'd ever wake up."

"Tonka," Haru whispered, silently the summoned bird tossed a rope at the girl's feet.

"I saw them enter your room, figured you could handle them, so I went and got you some rope." Tonka replied coldly, "What took you so long in knocking them out? And why did you let that woman get away?" Haru froze in tying the man's feet together.

"Careful Tonka," Haru smiled at him calmly, "you sound as if you care." The bird gave Haru a snort and a glare.

"Other than master, who in their right mind would care about _you_?"

"Ouch, that was cold." Haru half heartedly flinched as she finished the man's hands and pinned them to the beam above her bed. "And did you just say that my brother, _your_ master, is not in his right mind?" Tonka glared at Haru as if he thought about eating her.

"Why do you hate me anyways?" Haru asked suddenly, her head tilted to the side with wide green eyes. It was that expression right there that made Tonka hate Haru so much, no matter what ever she did, she was always graceful and innocent… until she killed; then she just looked like a demon.

"Why do you insist on torturing everyone who disturbs your sleep?" Tonka snapped back, eyeing the bound man on the ceiling.

"Because people are unnecessary loud and noisy." Haru said seriously, Tonka snorted and flapped his wings impatiently.

"Yeah well, you have a lovely black haired guest waiting for you down stairs." Tonka said looking irritated. "If your all healed up, why don't you go an' great her?" and then he was gone, Tonka returned to his place before the front door of the house. He returned just in time to scare off some kids who leaving the house, just to spite them he squawked rudely at them, acting as if he were going to eat them.

"Tonka!" snapped out a voice, irritated beyond words, Tonka snapped around and glared at the person who called to him so rudely; only to lower his eyes at the couple. "What did I tell you about scaring off these people's guests and shoppers?" Tabito snapped out.

"If you scare the little ones then we won't be able to make any money, and there for be unable to continue aid to your master." Eiko said calmly. "Besides there's a rumor going around that you tried to eat one of the children." Tabito gave Tonka a sharp glare.

"Is that true?" Tabito asked dangerously.

"Of course not," Tonka snapped looking like they'd just insult him, "Children are too rubbery and dirty tasting! Humans aren't good for anything but to kill! They aren't worth eating!" Tabito promptly knocked him on the head gently.

"If you continue acting like a man-eating bird, then we're just going to end up moving to a new location. And then you'll be with us even longer." Tabito said softly as he entered the house silently.

"At least be nice to the children," Eiko whispered softly "They mean well, so at least ignore them until you get used to them?" Eiko's sentence slowly turned into a question as Tonka's glare sharpened with each word she spoke. "At least give it some thought." Then Eiko disappeared into the house as well, Tonka briefly wondered if he should tell them that several children were paid to drop strange things into the house each night and that it was only he who kept them safe each night.

Haru heard her brother finally return with the old man's granddaughter, looking down at the main street she was pleased to see the woman who ran away when she had simply glanced at the older woman. Just after Eiko went inside, Haru landed next to Tonka, with a glance and a smug smirk, Haru lifted the genjutsu over the woman (which prevented anyone from seeing her) and took the woman back to her room; where she found another rope waiting for her on her desk next to the window. Along with her brother standing in the doorway of her new room, Haru lowered her eyes and dropped the woman on the floor with a loud _thump!_

"What happened?" Tabito asked calmly, Haru had been anyone else she would have thought that he didn't care; but she was related to him and she knew better then to trust appearances.

"The man tried to kill me while I was sleeping," Haru whispered gently, making circles on the wooden floor with her toes.

"And the woman?" Haru leaned against the window with a sigh.

"She was going to let him." Tabito glanced at the surviearly burned woman, he knew those strange marks; he still had a scare on his shoulder from when he first met Tonka.

"I was asking why she was burned." Tabito spook softly as he closed the door to the room; Haru didn't bother looking at him as she gestured to the fire place in the back yard. "Don't even think about covering for him, I know those burn marks anywhere." Haru released an exasperated sigh and flopped her arms on to her side, her hands making a rather loud slapping noise when they hit her thighs.

"If you knew it was him, why'd you ask me what happened to her?" Haru asked her hands on her hips as she half heartedly glared up at her brother.

"I was curious how well you were," at Haru's lifted eyebrow, Tabito continued "I stalled you enough to let me make sure you weren't forcing yourself."

"And?" Haru asked, eyeing her elder brother apprehensively "Have I been pushing myself?" Tabito raised his hand, two fingers gently brushing against his chin and lips, Haru closed her eyes in defeat, she knew she'd been caught now.

"Kai," suddenly Haru wasn't standing against the window, no, she was sitting in her bed; the man was lying on the floor not far from her. Tabito sighed at his sister as she starred at him from her awkward position on the floor. "You've improved, but your control could still be better." Haru sighed, not bothering to move.

"At least he gave me a new toy," Haru whispered as she looked at the sword pinned to the bed between her knees. "I always did want to try playing with a sword." Tabito chuckled at her as he removed the blade from her bed.

"Sorry Imoto, but this isn't like the swords at home." Haru looked up at him with her head tilted to the side, "There's no demon attached to this blade." Haru sighed seemingly depressed at this thought. "Besides Imoto, you have to train with a normal sword before you can get a demon sword." Haru glanced at her smiling brother; she hated how addictive his smile was. "Now, what are we going to do with these two?" Tabito asked Haru as he glanced back at the woman, if she didn't get help soon she was going to die…

"I was hoping to get some info out of them." Haru said calmly, Tabito looked at her, and with the tilt of his head she knew he didn't understand. "The woman said that they were here for the old man's granddaughter."

"Ah," Tabito sighed "Good luck with that…" Tabito whispered to no one in particular. "She's not in the best of moods right now."

"Oh? What did you do, Nii-chan?" Haru asked, a sly smile playing with her lips. Tabito didn't answer her as the door opened and in stepped Eiko and her grandfather. Eiko gasped and almost dropped her tray as she practically slid to a stop next to the heavily burnt woman on the floor next to the window.

"What happened?" the old man asked calmly as he examine the woman and then the man. "Were did these people come from?"

"Good question." Haru whispered back, her voice horse and dry sounds; it was a major difference from before when she was alone with her brother. "They were talking about kidnapping you granddaughter and use her as a hostage against you."

"Really?" Eiko whispered, shocked that someone would actually go that far, "Why would someone do that?"

"Clearly they need medical assistance," Haru dead panned, Eiko looked at Haru as if her two cense weren't wanted.

"We'll figure it out later," Tabito said calmly as he rubbed the back of his neck "For now, do you guys of a seller or know of someplace to keep them? This way they won't escape and tell they're handler what happened."

"Sorry, we have a small basement used to hide ourselves from soldiers; but that's about it." The old man said, "It's not big enough to hold two screaming people for long, someone would get a hint eventually."

"The basement will do," Haru whispered as she looked up at her brother, "We can keep them a sleep until we have a second place where they won't be heard if they decided to scream." Clearly the doctor didn't like Haru pointing that out, he was hoping the boy wouldn't think of that and just move the intruders some were else immanently.

…

Mei woke up feeling as if she just fell from a cliff, groaning Mei turned her head from side to side. She quickly realized that one of her left eye was bound and that her hands were tied together.

"Don't move," a gruff voice warned. Gasping Mei turned her one good eye in the direction of the voice, only to see a stone room with three candles and a man tied to the far wall.

"Akiyoshi," Mei whispered, the man was bound in chains to the wall looked as if someone took a whip to him. The man heaved a sigh and slumped against the wall he was bound to.

"I wish you hadn't done that Mei," Akiyoshi replied calmly, seeing the look of fright on his partner's face he heaved a sigh. "Don't fret Mei, they didn't touch you." Akiyoshi assured the black haired woman calmly, "They let the old man tend to you, and made sure you didn't die or get infection or anything."

"Why?" Mei asked her voice shaking as she worried about what they would do to her. "Why let us live?"

"Because _they_ want information," a new voice sounded in the room, Mei stiffened as she glanced wildly around the room. "How are you feeling?" Mei starred horrified as a tiny pink haired girl stepped into her line of view, "are you queasy? Dizzy? Would you like me to get the doctor?" Mei shook her head, fearful that if she used her voice she'd end up screaming; the girl nodded her head looked towards Akiyoshi.

"Well your partner is alive and well enough," she replied as she took a few steps towards her, "Will you tell us what you know now?" Akiyoshi eyed the girl and glanced at Mei, the little girl turned towards Mei as well. "So you're the leader of this two man cell… you are unable to speak because of your fear. Give this man permission and we'll let you two live." Mei's breath hitched and she glanced at Akiyoshi worriedly, he only nodded his head in encouragement.

"He was very demanding about your safety and well being," the girl replied, "I assume you are just as demanding about him." Mei looked at the little girl whose dead green eyes would haunt her nightmares; she swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded her head. "Good, one must trust their partner with their life if they are hopeful to succeed in their mission." The girl nodded her head as if Mei's decision was appropriate and appreciated, "Now will you give this man your permission to speak on your behalf?" Mei nodded her head again, tears gathering in her midnight colored eye, the little girl quickly turned away from Mei.

"You may tell us of everything you know now…" she ordered, blinking softly, Akiyoshi chuckled and nodded his head. Half an hour later Haru was walking out of the stone chamber, ignoring the cries from the man and the sobbing from the woman. When she stepped out of the whole she closed the door on the shouting captives and turned towards her brother's camp that he had made nearby.

"So I take it the woman's up," Akuruii replied calmly, Haru nodded her head. She took her seat next to her brother and picked up a sick from the fire that had a fish on it.

"He wants the woman to go free," Haru replied the message, knowing her brother would only let both free.

"Did you answer him?" Akuruii asked, Haru tilted her head at her brother

"I had already agreed to that before the information was given, why should I conform my earlier words?"

"Because the people here are untrusting and fearful," Akuruii replied "and you're not exactly reassuring people's thoughts of us."

"Oh? So you're mad that I lied to the doctor about your name?" Haru asked

"Yes, I know why you did it but it wasn't necessary," Akuruii replied calmly

"But I like the name Tabito," Haru mumbled looking as close to pouting as she could get, Akuruii chuckled.

"Yes well, now we have to live with it, it's going to take a while to get used to the name Tabito." Akuruii winked at his little sister through his swept aside black hair, Haru smiled at her elder brother.

"I'll get the doctor to give an estimate about the woman's ability to walk again," Haru said as she threw her stick into the fire with the bones of her fish, Akuruii nodded his head.

"So where are we heading?"

"We're heading to the closes lords mansion," Akuruii raised an eyebrow at his little sister "The lord wants the doctor to stop tending to the poor, the lord's son wants the doctor's granddaughter."

"Two birds with one stone." Akuruii sighed, earning a nod from the tiny pink haired girl beside him.

"So how much damage are you going to inflict on the two?"

"Let's just say they won't have a house when I'm done."

"Any killing?"

"None if we can help it," Haru smiled up at her elder brother

"Let the games begin." Haru whispered to the air, instantly both siblings were gone from site; Haru's laughter echoing throughout the forest as they headed east.

…

"Brother you're too nice," Haru chided softly from her place in the main hall of the lord's house, which looked hell just swept through it. The lord, his wife, three sons and four daughters all cowered just next to the lord's thrown.

"How so?" Akuruii asked with a tilted head, Haru sighed and gestured to the guard strewn lobby, not man was bothering to move.

"Most people would've burnt the place," Haru said softly, Akuruii snickered at his sister.

"Then I guess it's a good thing I like the place," Akuruii replied, ignoring the lord as he pushed his wife and children to the wall where a curtain hung; behind which was their excite.

"Oh? What do you like about it?" Haru asked

"The wide open spaces" Akuruii answered with a smile, Haru chuckled and disappeared from sight.

"Hurry now," the lord urged under his breath as the two monsters before him talked, "the servants entrance, quickly now." His wife tugged on his sleeve, his children whimpered and clung against each other. Shrugging off his wife's desperate hand, he pushed his youngest towards the excite.

"Now while their distracted," his wife nodded and gently pushed her children towards the door, their youngest son looked up at the excite and starred wide eyed at the man who stood there while his sisters and mother screamed. The man's sword was falling towards him but the blade never made it to him, because as the youngest blinked up at the man he saw a curtain of pink hair before him. The blade resting gently against the palm of her hand, the boy felt hands grip at him as he was turn away from the girl who just saved his life.

"That wasn't nice," the girl whispered and then the would-be assassin dropped to the ground, a huge slash in his chest from his own sword. The man's blood covered the girl and when she turned, the youngest heard several of his siblings turn and throw up their dinner. The girl had emerald green eyes that lacked a fire or innocents that should have been there, her snow pale skin was splattered in the man's blood and her previously unblemished kimono was stained.

"Haru, what did I say?" the girl's older brother asked as if he was about to scold her, the girl looked down at the ground as if ashamed.

"To avoid killing," She replied softly, the older boy nodded his head.

"Thank you," the lord's youngest whispered voice echoed in the suddenly quiet room, the strange boy and his little sister turned to him. "Thank you for saving my life, Haru-sama" the boy said to the girl, his parents seemed horrified at this thought but one by one, his sisters kneeled beside him, then his brothers and mother and after careful thought and with great humiliation; the lord himself bowed to the siblings.

"Thank you for saving him!" the family's voice echoed in the room.

"Was I supposed to do something else, Nii-san?" Haru asked as she looked up at her older brother, Akuruii laughed and shook his head.

"No little Haru, but I've decided something,"

"What is it?" Haru almost sounded excited

"I'm going to stop this silly war," Haru drew in a deep breath and smiled at her brother, her hands instantly wrapping around his arm.

"Then I'll stand beside you and watch you change the world!"

…

Haru watched as her brother waited at the altar for Eiko, just a few months after her sixteenth birthday; Haru watched as the gusts clapped joyfully at their marriage. Haru watched as soon after, Eiko gave life to her first bourn, and then her second and her third and before she knew it Haru was watching her six nephews and nieces play in the garden that was under her direct protection. Haru watched as her nieces were married off, as her brother's students became his guards and some students taught other students. Haru watched as group after group of men and women left the estate, Haru watched as child after child entered the estate seeking shelter and safety. Haru watched as the years passed and the select few that she, herself, taught grew up to marry and have children, and then she watched as those children married and had children.

Haru watched as her twentieth birthday came and went and still she looked as young as the day she summoned a fox at sixteen. That was the same day her brother introduced her to his little problem of creating living chakra animals, with her help he finally succeeded in his little creation. Haru watched as her brother continued to age with his wife and children, while she herself did not age a day past sixteen. Haru watched as the family they spared for their home in return grew and married and had children to serve under them protectively, she watched as the youngest son of the noble man still looked at her the same way Eiko would often look at her husband.

Haru watched as a man tried to assassinate her brother, she watched as she pushed her brother out of the way of strange attach. It had been years since she last moved so fast and Haru was fascinated as the bright light took hold of her body, forcing her into a coughing fit. Haru watched as her brother picked her up into his arms like she was a delicate little flower and take her to the pink forest that she loved to visit. Later that day Haru and Akuruii found out that the man's attach had limited her too that one place, she could no longer stay in that house with him. She could no longer watcher brother's children visit and grow, she could no longer teach her brother's most exceptional students and on the evening of her brother's death; Haru watched as the eight children she trusted most betrayed her with the help of her summoned fox.

"_You are the keeper of history_," the fox had said to her, "_you are immortal"_

Again Haru found herself watching as the decedents of her brother wagged war with each other, Haru watched as the children were abandoned in droves and she took them away to her secret home.

Haru watched as time continued for everyone else in the world, but herself…

She was the keeper of history…

She was immortal…

She could only die, if someone else were to take her place as the keeper of history…

…

"Hello little one," Haru whispered, the girl jumped up, single body laid at her feet. "Why do you cry, little one?"

"It's my entire fault!" the girl wailed, tears flooding from her eyes "If only I had the power to turn back time! Then Nee-sama wouldn't have died!" Haru smiled gently at the girl, her pink hair and green eyes did not go unnoticed by her. The girl erupted into a loud wail subsided and Haru waited for the girl's pain filled scream slowly turn into hick-ups and quiet sobbing.

"If I give you the power, what will you do?" Haru asked, she watched as the girl slowly turned to her once again, her green eyes blurry and emotional.

"I'd go back to the time when we were betrayed," she said softly, a hick-up making her pause "and I'd seal her memories away and make sure she stayed save in that village she loves so much."

"What would you give to do this?"

"I'd give my life!" she answered immanently "I'd give my very body to keep her safe! I'll do anything to make sure Nee-sama never died because of me!"

"That's a good answer," Haru whispered. "My name is Haru Onsanran," The girl starred up at her sharply, awe smoothing her features as Haru offered the girl her hand.

"Well then girl, I give you this curse; you need only to change the fate of your beloved sister to obtain it. Are you sure you wish to change your sister's fate?" Haru said with a gentle smile as she yanked the girl to her feet.

"I'd gladly switch places with her," the girl replied softly, Haru's smile was sad as she nodded her head.

"Then let the fates be with you as you become the keeper of history."

"My name is Sakura Haruno," the girl whispered "I'm your decedent…" Haru starred at the girl, her green eyes wide before she smiled gently at the girl before her.

"Thank you…"


End file.
